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I was about to tell you。〃 〃Go on telling； then！〃 said Beorn； who was never very polite。 〃There was a terrible storm； the stone…giants were out hurling rocks； and at the head of the pass we took refuge in a cave； the hob bit and I and several of our panions。。。〃
〃Do you call two several？〃
〃Well； no。 As a matter of fact there were more than two。〃
〃Where are they？ Killed； eaten； gone home？〃
〃Well； no。 They don't seem all to have e when I whistled。 Shy； I expect。 You see； we are very much afraid that we are rather a lot for you to entertain。〃
〃Go on； whistle again！ I am in for a party； it seems； and one or two more won't make much difference；〃 growled Beorn。
Gandalf whistled again； but Nori and Ori were there almost before he had stopped； for； if you remember； Gandalf had told them to e in pairs every five minutes。
〃Hullo！〃 said Beorn。 〃You came pretty quick…where were you hiding？ e on my jack…in…the…boxes！〃
〃Nori at your service； Ori at 。 。 。〃 they began； but Beorn interrupted them。
〃Thank you！ When I want your help I will ask for it。 Sit down； and let's get on with this tale； or it will be supper…time before it is ended。〃 〃As soon as we were asleep；〃 went on Gandalf； 〃a crack at the back of the cave opened； goblins came out and grabbed the hobbit and the dwarves and our troop of ponies…〃 〃Troop of ponies？ What were you…a travelling circus？ Or were you carrying lots of goods？ Or do you always call six a troop？〃
〃O no！ As a matter of fact there were more than six ponies； for there were more than six of us…and well； here are two more！〃 Just at that moment Balin and Dwalin appeared and bowed so low that their beards swept the stone floor。 The big man was frowning at first； but they did their very best to be frightfully polite； and kept on nodding and bending and bowing and waving their hoods before their knees （in proper dwarf…fashion）； till he stopped frowning and burst into a chuckling laugh； they looked so ical。 〃Troop； was right；〃 he said。 〃A fine ic one。 e in my merry men； and what are your names？ I don't want your service just now； only your names； and then sit down and stop wagging！〃
〃Balin and Dwalin；〃 they said not daring to be offended； and sat flop on the floor looking rather surprised。
〃Now go on again！〃 said Beorn to the wizard。
〃Where was 1？ O yes… I was not grabbed。 I killed a goblin or two with a flash…〃 〃Good！〃 growled Beorn。 〃It is some good being a wizard； then。〃 〃…and slipped inside the crack before it closed。 I followed down into the main hall； which was crowded with goblins。 The Great Goblin was there with thirty or forty armed guards。 I thought to myself 'even if they were not all chained together； what can a dozen do against so many？' 〃 〃A dozen！ That's the first time I've heard eight called a dozen。 Or have you still got some more jacks that haven't yet e out of their boxes？〃 〃Well； yes； there seem to be a couple more here now … Fili and Kili； I believe；〃 said Gandalf； as these two now appeared and stood smiling and bowing。
〃That's enough！〃 said Beorn。 〃Sit down and be quiet！ Now go on； Gandalf！〃 So Gandalf went on with the tale； until he came to the fight in the dark； the discovery of the lower gate； and their horror when they found that Mr。 Baggins had been mislaid。
〃We counted ourselves and found that there was no hobbit。 There were only fourteen of us left！〃
〃Fourteen！ That's the first time I've heard one from ten leave fourteen。
You mean nine； or else you haven't told me yet all the names of your party。〃 〃Well； of course you haven't seen Oin and Gloin yet。 And； bless me！ here they are。 I hope you will forgive them for bothering you。〃 〃O let 'em all e！ Hurry up！ e along； you two； and sit down！ But look here； Gandalf； even now we have only got yourself and ten dwarves and the hobbit that was lost。 That only makes eleven （plus one mislaid） and not fourteen； unless wizards count differently to other people。 But now please get on with the tale。〃 Beorn did not show it more than he could help； but really he had begun to get very interested。 You see； in the old days he had known the very part of the mountains that Gandalf was describing。 He nodded and he growled； when he heard of the hobbit's reappearance and of their scramble down the stone…slide and of the wolf…ring m the woods。 When Gandalf came to their climbing into trees with the wolves all underneath； he got up and strode about and muttered：
〃I wish I had been there！ I would have given them more than fireworks！〃 〃Well；〃 said Gandalf very glad to see that his tale was making a good impression； 〃I did the best I could。 There we were with the wolves going mad underneath us and the forest beginning to blaze in places； when the goblins came down from the hills and discovered us。 They yelled with delight and sang songs making fun of us。 Fifteen birds in five fir…trees。。。〃 〃Good heavens！〃 growled Beorn。 〃Don't pretend that goblins can't count。
They can。 Twelve isn't fifteen and they know it。〃
〃And so do 1。 There were Bifur and Bofur as well。 I haven't ventured to introduce them before； but here they are。〃
In came Bifur and Bofur。 〃And me！〃 gasped Bombur pulling up behind。 He was fat； and also angry at being left till last。 He refused to wait five minutes； and followed immediately after the other two。 〃Well； now there are fifteen of you； and since goblins can count； I suppose that is all that there were up the trees。 Now perhaps we can finish this story without any more interruptions。〃 Mr。 Baggins saw then how clever Gandalf had been。 The interruptions had really made Beorn more interested in the story； and the story had kept him from sending the dwarves off at once like suspicious beggars。 He never invited people into his house； if he could help it。 He had very few friends and they lived a good way away； and he never invited more than a couple of these to his house at a time。 Now he had got fifteen strangers sitting in his porch！
By the time the wizard had finished his tale and had told of the eagles' rescue and of how they had all been brought to the Carrock； the sun had fallen behind the peaks of the Misty Mountains and the shadows were long in Beorn's garden。
〃A very good tale！〃 said he。 〃The best I have heard for a long while。 If all beggars could tell such a good one； they might find me kinder。 You may be making it all up； of course； but you deserve a supper for the story all the same。 Let's have something to eat！〃
〃Yes； please！〃 they all said together。 〃Thank you very much！〃 Inside the hall it was now quite dark。 Beorn clapped his hands； and in trotted four beautiful white ponies and several large long…bodied grey dogs。 Beorn said something to them in a queer language like animal noises turned into talk。 They went out again and soon came back carrying torches in their mouths； which they lit at the fire and stuck in low brackets on the pillars of the hall about the central hearth。
The dogs could stand on their hind…legs when they wished； and carry things with their fore…feet。 Quickly they got out boards and trestles from the side walls and set them up near the fire。
Then baa…baa…baa！ was heard； and in came some snow…white sheep led by a large coal…black ram。 One bore a white clot